From UNDP - Gender responsiveness refers to outcomes that reflect an understanding of gender roles and inequalities and encourage equal participation, including equal and fair distribution of benefits. Gender responsiveness is accomplished through gender analysis, that informs inclusiveness. Often, we must try to support efforts that transform unequal gender relations to promote shared power, control of resources, decision-making, and support for women’s empowerment.  

This reports details how to design these activities for sectoral actions in climate initiatives, which then encourages equal participation, and fair distribution of benefits.  

From Criterion Institute & UNICEF - The purpose of this tool is to equip investors to understand the risk their investments are exposed to as a result of gender-based violence. This tool enables investors to determine how their existing due diligence process can be used to determine a potential investment’s exposure to the political, regulatory, operational, and reputational risks of gender-based violence. This tool is one component of a broader global effort to ensure the right to live free of violence.

From Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) / Frontier Incubators - The Gender Lens Incubation and Acceleration Toolkit (GLIA Toolkit) is an instructional guide for incubators, accelerators, and other entrepreneurial support organizations operating in Southeast Asian countries with the aim of improving the various issues surrounding working women in Southeast Asia. The GLIA Toolkit was developed with the aim of building a gender smart entrepreneurial ecosystem in Southeast Asia by incorporating a gender perspective into the activities of entrepreneurs and surrounding stakeholders.

From The Venture Capital Accelerator- The Mensarius Oath is an ethical code of conduct for venture capitalists and other finance professionals that is designed to foster positive outcomes for humanity. The Mensarius Oath was originally developed by the Founder Institute in March of 2020 to inspire a new class of ethical investors that focus on both societal and economic returns.

From International Journal of Finance and Economics - This article examines the relationship between gender diversity, selected female attributes, and financial performance of FTSE 100 firms in the UK. This study finds a positive and significant relationship between gender diversity and firm performance. However, the results become highly significant and unequivocal when three or more females are appointed to the board compared to the appointment of two or less females. Further analysis reveals that post-appointment financial performance is positively related to female age, level of education and where female board members also hold executive director positions.

From Willis Towers Watson This paper covers:

• Our beliefs around the importance of diversity as a key ingredient of success for asset managers

• The importance of looking beyond asset management ownership to understand diversity and what really drives performance

• Our approach to measuring diversity and asset management culture and how we are engaging with the asset management industry

• The initial findings of our assessment of diversity and the positive link to performance outcomes

• The tools we have developed to assess and assist asset managers and asset owners to help bring about change in the area of diversity

From Fairview Capital- A market update and review of woman and minority-owned private equity and venture capital firms actively raising capital in 2020 based on data collected by Fairview Capital

From HEC Paris. At the senior level, men outnumber women by a 10 to 1 ratio in the private equity sector. Considerations about gender equality notwithstanding, such a testosterone-only environment is not good for the bottom line. A large-scale study of investment deals by HEC Paris professor of strategy and business policy proves that teams with at least one female member dramatically outperform male-only teams. (An interview with Oliver Gottschalg.)

From Top 1000 Funds. Assessing, managing and changing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is set to become the data issue of the 2020s, as investors turn their attention to the power they have to advocate for change in the companies they invest in, and the firms that manage their money.

From USAID. Countries around the world are in the midst of a historic digital transition. The rapid development and adoption of digital technology is transforming industries, governments, economies, and societies. Digital ecosystems—the stakeholders, systems, and enabling environment that together empower people and communities to use digital technology to access services, engage with each other, or pursue economic opportunities—hold immense potential to help people live more free and prosperous lives. At the same time, digital transformation comes with the risk of increasing inequality. Despite the global prevalence of mobile phones and the Internet, the reality in many communities does not yet reflect the potential of a digital ecosystem that drives sustainable and equitable growth, often excluding vulnerable and marginalized groups. The USAID Digital Strategy aims to strengthen open, inclusive, and secure digital ecosystems in each country where they work. Through the Digital Strategy, the Agency is further demonstrating its commitment to closing the gender digital divide, by building awareness and capacity of USAID staff, partners, and partner countries to overcome the barriers to women’s access and meaningful use of digital technology. No country will be self-reliant if all members of its citizenry cannot benefit equally from the gains of a global digital ecosystem.

By Alina Sorgner, Gloria Mayne, Judith Mariscal, and Urvashi Aneja. Despite the headway the world has experienced over the years in terms of a substantial increase in digital access, there are still significant challenges to overcome in ensuring women are included in the transformation to a digital society and leapfrogging productivity and social development. Efforts to increase internet adoption access through broadband plans and legislative reforms have yielded improvements in use and adoption. However, a stark gender inequality is pervasive in terms of access, ownership of digital devices, digital fluency as well as the capacity to make meaningful use of the access to technology. Even though affordability is a key source of exclusion, there are also significant socio-cultural norms that restrict access for women. This policy brief brings forward the argument that access alone is not enough, women need agency and capacity to leverage access. We thus highlight the need to make an assessment of the global gender gap and develop meaningful indicators that contribute to the design and implementation of effective policies that drive adoption. We need effective promotion of women´s digital adoption not only from the government but from the private sector and civil society to lead the digital adoption for women of best practices around the world.

From Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The trustees and staff of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund express their commitment to the values of diversity and equity in the Fund’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement adopted in 2010. This commitment recognizes the Fund’s moral obligation to do its part to address past and current injustices to groups that have been historically disadvantaged and socially, politically, and economically marginalized. Their commitment is shaped by our values, our work, and the philanthropic traditions of the Rockefeller family.

From Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The purpose of this policy is to guide the Rockefeller Brothers Fund Board of Trustees, Investment Committee, and Outsourced Chief Investment Office (Agility) in effectively and prudently managing, monitoring, and evaluating the Fund's investment portfolio. The Rockefeller Brothers Fund has worked over the last decade to align its financial portfolio with its programmatic interests in democratic practice, peacebuilding, and sustainable development. The Fund’s Mission-Aligned Investment efforts include divestment from fossil fuels, impact investments, investing using environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, and leveraging shareholder rights.

From Morgan Stanley. This guide from Morgan Stanley seeks to provide an actionable framework for investors to understand the risks and financial impact associated with perpetuating racial inequality, and to identify ways to allocate capital toward opportunities to promote racial justice. No single investor will be able to right these deeply embedded cultural imbalances alone. It will take a far-reaching effort by a range of investors—including individuals, families and institutions. Furthermore, a comprehensive approach to counter racism and bias will require wide-ranging and coordinated action across public and private sectors, including corporations, governments and nonprofits.

From Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley’s second annual survey of venture capitalists reveals the intensified dialogue around racial inequality has captured investor attention and shifted their attitudes significantly. The increased focus on this issue is leading to investment strategies that include more actions to address disparities in funding for multicultural- and women-founded companies, which are well-documented for women and Black entreprenuers.

From ILPA. The ILPA Diversity in Action initiative brings together limited partners and general partners who share a commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the private equity industry. The goal of the initiative is to motivate market participants to engage in the journey towards becoming more diverse and inclusive and to build momentum around the adoption of specific actions that advance DEI over time.

From Morgan Stanley. Hosted by Carla Harris. ‘In the wake of continued violence against black lives, we are revisiting conversations with black entrepreneurs and investors whose stories advance our understanding of how these injustices are lived and overcome.’

From the National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC). Diverse-owned private equity firms continue to outperform their benchmarks, according to Examining the Returns 2019: The Financial Returns of Diverse Private Equity Firms, a study released by NAIC. Despite delivering consistent returns, diverse- and women-owned firms collectively manage only 1.3 percent of the investment industry’s $69 trillion in assets under management.

By Tracy Gray & Emilie Cortes. Foundations and impact investors need to face the ways they are complicit in perpetuating inequality through their capital allocations, and upend five structural investment barriers to better serve women and people of color. Tracy Gray and Emilie Cortes set out five structural barriers that foundation investors and investment committees can easily upend today in their due diligence process to improve outcomes for people of color—especially underrepresented Black, Indigenous, and Latinx people—and women.